1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to industrial safety equipment. In particular, the present invention relates to the automatic operation of fluid control valves in the event of fire in the proximity of the valve body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Release of well control fluids such as water, chemical suppressants or well plugging foams, often depends upon the operation of a fluid line valve. Depending upon the specific fluid control system, certain valves must be opened or closed at a critical moment.
Many fire control systems are under the positive control of sensors that activate externally powered controllers and valve motors. Some fire risk activities, however, such as gas and oil wellheads, are not well suited for powered actuation due to remoteness of the wellhead location. Although fire control fluid systems may be and are installed at remote wellheads, the unavoidable fact remains that the critical valves must be manually operated. At odds with this fact is the dilemma of those facilities and installations whereat the critical valve or valves must be located in the proximity of where such a fire would, in greatest probability, occur. Here, the critical fire control valves may be enveloped in flame and therefore hazardous if not impossible to be manually operated when needed.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a valve construction that operates without manual intervention in the presence of fire or excessive heat.
Another object of the present invention is provision of a fluid control valve that opens or closes, as required, in the presence of fire or excessive heat.
A further object of the present invention is a wellhead control assembly having a well fluid control system that is initiated by a heat fused valve.